The work described herein consists of the molecular cloning of the avian serum albumin gene. The albumin gene has been cloned in the lambdophage vector Charon 4a. Two clones have been isolated which overlap by approximately 85%. Both clones appear to contain the 3' end of the gene and also the mRNA cap-site. A procedure has been developed that allows the rapid location of mRNA cap-sites in cloned DNA fragments.